These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of May 28-June 3.
1. Every Piece of Public Art in San Diego, Mapped
One thing the map makes clear: Public art is hardly distributed equally throughout the city. (Kinsee Morlan)
2. The Worst Mailers of 2016 … So Far
All in all, it’s been a pretty tame cycle. But some political mail pieces stand out for their badness. (Scott Lewis)
3. How the Registration Boom Will Play Out on Election Day
Nearly 183,000 county residents had joined voter rolls as of May 14. The surge has especially benefited Democrats. Of the new local registrants, 77,000 have been Democrats while 45,000 are Republicans and 49,000 aren’t part of a party. (Andrew Keatts)
4. Why We’re Suing San Diego Unified
VOSD made a series of requests for emails related to former school board Trustee Marne Foster, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, Superintendent Cindy Marten and former principal Mitzi Lizarraga. The district complied with the requests, but redacted a number of records, arguing the information needed to remain confidential. The relevant legal question is whether the public’s right to know outweighs the agency’s right to protect information that could potentially cause it harm. (Mario Koran)
5. Culture Report: A Ship in the Woods Anchors in Escondido
Visualizing the public art pieces across San Diego, summer events to add to your to-do list, home prices are rising in Barrio Logan and more in our weekly roundup of arts and culture news. (Kinsee Morlan)
6. Why the Right-of-Center Establishment’s Backing Bernal
The establishment interests backing Anthony Bernal say their decisions come down the fact that, as a staffer in current District 3 Councilman Todd Gloria’s office, Bernal has been the guy at the city working with them. (Lisa Halverstadt)
7. Harris Changes Course on Building Housing Near Transit
Mayoral candidate Ed Harris’ goal to build more homes near public transit is one shared by the city’s general plan and its Climate Action Plan. But it wasn’t shared by Harris himself just two years ago. (Andrew Keatts)
8. City Says Landfill Odor Complaints Don’t Pass the Smell Test
The county’s Air Pollution Control District says an air analysis shows that odors are wafting into surrounding neighborhoods from the Miramar Landfill. The city did its own review of the county’s study, and that determined the origin of the odors to be inconclusive. (H.G. Reza)
9. What the City Needs to Deal With Vacation Rentals: Clarity and Enforcement
City leaders must update the laws to protect our neighborhoods, lay out clear rules for home-sharing and explicitly spell out where short-term rentals are a permissible use. Then, the city must enforce the law, something it is currently failing to do. (Mara Elliott)
10. The Engaged Voter’s Guide to the 2016 Primary
Here’s a brief guide to help you know where the candidates stand come Election Day. We’ve included links to stories we’ve done on each race and candidate, op-eds they have written and appearances they’ve made on our podcasts. (Andrew Keatts)